GUNTUR: Tension prevailed at Gundimeda village in Tadepalli mandal late Sunday night with locals objecting to a private hostel on the outskirts of their village as a quarantine facility fearing spread of coronavirus.
A couple of people who were brought to the facility and also a policeman were injured in the attack by the villagers.
According to police, the district administration has identified 36 persons as primary contacts of the COVID-19 positive cases and proposed to shift them to a quarantine centre. For this, the administration identified a hostel with 230-bed facility at Gundimeda and made all arrangements from Saturday itself. ‘
The centre was disinfected, cleaned and all arrangements were made. The villagers were also informed about converting the hostel into a quarantine facility.
On Sunday night, revenue and police officials brought them to the village to shift them to the facility.
While 36 persons were walking towards the facility after boarding the bus, villagers in large numbers reached there and prevented them from entering the facility.
Police tried to convince them that some of the contacts were from their village too and read out the names of locals who were being shifted to the facility but the locals did not budge and attacked the police and the contacts hurling stones and chilli powder.